


Happy New Year, Alfred!

by ItsaMePatches



Category: VeggieTales
Genre: M/M, New Year's Eve, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 20:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9401876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsaMePatches/pseuds/ItsaMePatches
Summary: Alfred found himself staring only at Larry, as embarrassing as it might felt to him, but he couldn’t himself. He simply felt delight watching Larry socialize and having a splendid time. This was something which Larry didn’t get to do when he was younger, as Larry confessed to him many years ago, so this sight before him was...heartwarming. Laura approached the conversation, grabbing Larry’s attention. Apparently, she said something silly, for the out-of-costume hero began laughing along with Junior. This made Alfred smile warmly, his eyes twinkling.He loved it.He loved seeing Larry truly having fun, happy.He loved him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> uh
> 
> 20/19 days late, but, uh...writers block. :B

* * *

 

 

         Finally, there was minimal snow and ice on the ground during this fine New Year’s Eve in the city of Bumblyburg. Unsurprisingly, people were to be found just about everywhere outside, preparing for the various parties being held for the occasion. One of these places holding an event was the Bumblyburg Community Center which was being held by a local (and rich) individual.

         “You’ve outdone yourself this year, Master Larry.”   
         “Y’really think so Alfred?”

         Alfred leaned to the younger individual beside him, replying truthfully rather than being a simple ‘yes man’, “I believe so! We’re much more organized with our confectionary and renting the ballroom hall  _ on time _ than the year prior.”

         “Prior?”   
         “Before. We were able to get everything perfectly set than the year before.”

         The duo was sitting at a decorated table in the back of the hall, watching the citizens who came by for the party interact with one another - whether it be chatting, playing card games at the white, black, and gold-covered tables, or whatever it was that people did.

         “All thanks to you,” was Larry’s reply with a small smile. “You made sure everythin’ was set perfectly.”

         Alfred laughed lightly, beaming a little. “Oh  _ come  _ now, it’s a requirement for the type of job I’m holding, isn’t it. No need to thank me for that!”

         “Still...I don’t wanna not give you credit where it’s due.”   
         “Trust me, Master Larry...you always make certain to do so.”

         They felt into silence for a while as they witnessed more people pouring in, decked out in winter attire. The sight made Larry feel a bit self-conscious since he simply wore a black sweater and a red scarf he got as a present from Alfred Christmases ago. Gosh, Alfred  _ did _ suggest wearing something a bit more since the temperature was supposed to drop more, but...he hated being in a heavy coat to where it limited his walking abilities. He was probably gonna freeze up until they got in the car…

         Now Alfred...he only wore a fancy suit - courtesy of him this Christmas - with a golden vest underneath the long black jacket.  _ Gosh _ , he looked handsome.

         “Should’a listened to your advice though,” Larry decided to point out his lack of proper attire to him, “about wearin’ somethin’  _ fancy _ , I mean.”

         “There’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing, Master Larry.”   
         “Are you sure?”   
         “I’m certain. Besides, what you have on currently is still suitable for tonight.”

         Sheepishly, he grinned. “You look pretty handsome yourself, Alfred.”

         Alfred felt wild fluttering within his chest as his eyes went to his lap. He laughed in a feathery tone again, “Master Larry! Another compliment!”

         “Aw c’mon, you deserve it.”   
         “Whatever for?”   
         “Because you just do!”

         If that’s the case, perhaps he should attempt something similar. Daring it was, but, goodness knows what he said next was the truth. “Well, since you’re doing that,” Alfred said, holding his laughter down for a moment, “you’re rather adorable in your clothing...or should I say that you’re more of a  _ cute _ cumber tonight!”

         Now as Alfred’s polite laughter immediately warped to one  _ much _ louder and contained a few snorts here and there, Larry was torn between rolling his eyes at Alfred’s pun and acknowledging that he was called “adorable”  _ and _ “cute” by the Brit -- he chose to linger on the latter...for his own sake. Cute? He was cute? Well, okay, so he _ was _ in a way, but he was a bit surprised hearing that from Alfred instead of Vicky, his brothers, or his aunt and uncle. Heck, it felt a little more special since it was Alfred calling him such adjectives. It made Larry’s stomach flip flop, leaving a tingling sensation; however, this definitely was not the first time he felt that because of Alfred. His laughing, as an example, stirred the feeling in his gut even more with Alfred’s tiny snorts while his eyes crinkled with mirth.

         “Hey, Alfred?”

         Alfred, through his laugh which started to die, looked to the out-of-costume hero. “Y--yes, Master Larry?”

         He said with a grin, “You look pretty cute tonight too!”

         What Alfred felt, if it had to be described into  _ the _ cheesiest of chosen words, was a burst of heat rising to his neck and face whilst an endless bouquet of red, yellow, orange, violet, and light pink roses exploded in his chest in full bloom. Goodness, not  _ this _ again! Oh Larry, if only you knew the reason why this was  _ happening _ !

         “O--oh, I…” Alfred mentally cringed at how sudden his behaviour became, his voice almost rising in pitch, “thank you, Larry--I--I mean... _ Master _ Larry.” Darn it, stop feeling tingly! Stop it!

         Ooh, different response when he’s the one being called “cute”! It was rare to see Alfred acting timid like this, but when the Brit  _ did _ ...Larry found it really adorable. No wait, Alfred wasn’t cute...he was pretty.

         All of a sudden, a familiar voice called out from the entrance of the ballroom, “Hi Larry!”

         The duo snapped out of their admiration-struck trances thanks to Junior Asparagus. Immediately, Larry rose from his seat, saying without a single stammer, “I’m gonna say ‘hi’ to Junior. Want me to grab you a drink or snack?”

         Alfred blinked several times before he hurried an answer. “No thank you…”

         “ ‘kay! I’ll be back in a minute!”   
         “Take your time. You can come back in a new year if you want!”

         Larry cocked a brow. “Uh, what...?”

         “It’s New Year’s Eve,” he explained with humour in his voice, “a new year will be here in twenty minutes. You can spend the rest of  _ this year _ chatting with your friends!”

         Now Larry chose to groan at Alfred’s terrible joke,  _ and so did the person who wrote this _ . “I’ll be back,” he flatly said again.

         Alfred watched Larry rush over to greet Junior (“Hey Junior!” “Nice decorations.” “Thanks! Though Alfred was the one who chose the color scheme.”). Junior’s parents soon joined in on the casual conversation with the two. He could see Larry laughing, flushed by a compliment about how handsome he looked for the simple get-together. As they began to enter further into the ballroom, other people came up to Larry, probably to thank him for hosting another New Year party. Larry smiled throughout the constant exchanges between him and the civilians on this cold New Year’s Eve night.

         Alfred found himself staring only at Larry, as embarrassing as it might felt to him, but he couldn’t himself. He simply felt delight watching Larry socialize and having a splendid time. This was something which Larry didn’t get to do when he was younger, as Larry confessed to him many years ago, so this sight before him was...heartwarming. Laura approached the conversation, grabbing Larry’s attention. Apparently, she said something silly, for the out-of-costume hero began laughing along with Junior. This made Alfred smile warmly, his eyes twinkling.

         He loved it.

         He loved seeing Larry truly having fun,  _ happy _ .

         He loved  _ him _ .

         That burst of flowers from his chest resurfaced, forcing him to blush and avert his gaze elsewhere,  _ any _ where away from Larry. “Bother…” he groaned, embarrassed even more. “Eschew yourself from thinking that anymore,” he scolded himself. “ _ Eschew _ !”

         Someone from the other side of the hall called out, “Bless you!”

         Alfred paused and then sighed. “I can’t believe I fell into that one.” Pretty certain he used that on Larry almost seven years ago with his love of chocolate.

         All of a sudden, the humming of an item vibrating upon a hard surface caught Alfred’s attention. He looked to his right and saw it was Larry’s “other” cellular device. The mayor’s name was flashing on the caller i.d. He picked up the phone and answered it, “Yes, Mayor Blueberry?” While Alfred paid close attention to the words of the mayor, his eyes darted to Larry, feeling brave enough to do so now since the need for LarryBoy might be required.

 

 

 

         “Ooh, nice,” Junior chimed when he approached the buffet table. “There’s some potato skins!”

         Larry immediately joined him, leaning down. “They’re a personal fave of mine when it comes to  _ h’orderves _ .”

         “That’s what appetizers are called, right?”   
         “That’s what Alfred said.”

         The ten-year old picked up one of the halved potatoes as he glanced to Larry. “Speaking of him…”

         He blinked. “Yeah?” When Junior moved his eyes from Larry and then to the delicious hot food in front of them, this made Larry even more curious. Dang it, was Junior messing with him again? The kid did that a lot… “What  _ about  _ Alfred?”

         With an entertained smile on his face, Junior looked to Larry once more. He lowered his voice’s volume, informing him, “He sure was acting funny. I saw how he was at the table with you when we got here.”

         Larry quirked his brows at this; however, he soon had a feeling he knew what Junior was trying to hint. A soft gasp escaped him. “You think…?” Gosh, he couldn’t finish the sentence even if he  _ wished _ to!

         “Who knows.” Junior, in unison with Larry, turned his head to the table where Alfred was rising from, a phone pressed against his ear. “I’ve been hanging out a few times while you were running around as LarryBoy,” he confessed. “He gets really mushy, like...mumbling and smiling while looking at his lap, but when I point it out, he starts stuttering and blushing like  _ mad _ .  _ Probably _ a sure sign, Larry. Adults are weird like that.”

         “Has...he been acting like that for a while?”   
         “Almost a  _ year _ . I dunno how he can act so calm around you when the two of you are alone together…”

         Larry’s eyes made contact with Alfred’s, causing his cheeks to burn red. “I dunno how either,” he murmured a numb response. When Alfred suddenly gestured him to return to the table with the pointing of his head, Larry’s attitude changed. “Hold on, I think I’m needed for some last minute…” if he had hands, he would be air-quoting this, “ ‘grocery shoppin’ before New Year gets here.”

         “Any chance you want me to come with you?”   
         “Nah, I feel like whatever the case might be, I can do it by myself. Just relax and have fun, ‘kay?”

         Junior nodded. “Way ahead of you.” He then shoved two potato skins into his mouth as his eyes followed Larry when the out-of-costume hero hurried off.

 

 

 

         “Alfred,” Larry asked as soon as he approached his butler, “what’s happenin’?”

         Handing the mobile phone to Larry, Alfred answered, “Mayor Blueberry informed me that she needed to have a word with you  _ promptly _ .”

         “Any details on why?”   
         “No, but if it’ll make you feel better about the one-on-one, she sounded more positive rather than negative.”

         Larry shut his eyes and sighed from relief, earning a brief chuckle from Alfred. “That’s assurin’.” He opened his eyes and ignored the faint flutter in his chest when he locked eyes with the Brit. “I might take the rest of this year, but I’ll be back as soon as I can, Alfred.”

         “As always,” he said, “stay safe, Master Larry.”

         He beamed a grin. “I will. Don’t worry.” Before he sneaked to the kitchen in order to exit from a less populated area, Larry softened the grin as he told Alfred, “I’ll let you know when I get there. Just relax and have a drink.”

         Off Larry went.

         “Soooo…”

         Alfred turned to the table and saw Junior and Laura sitting there, both kids with a stack of food on their plates.

         Junior talked again, “Want some company?”

         “Well…” Alfred trailed off as his eyes darted to Laura for a moment. He would have to speak in code in front of her if Larry were to contact him or simply move elsewhere for a moment or two, but that wasn’t much of a hassle--

         “Don’t worry about Laura,” Junior interrupted his train of thought, “she made a pinky promise with me that she won’t tell a soul about the superhero business.”

         He blinked widely at this, not believing Junior would do such a thing and tell Laura about Larry’s sidejob. “Bother! You’ve told Laura about…?!”

         Laura hopped onto the conversation without breaking a sweat, adding in as she shrugged, “We could’ve tried doing a blood pact to keep quiet but it’s kind of hard to do that without hands. Besides, I had a feeling who Larry was the more I thought about it.”

         Alfred faltered. “Oh.” He suddenly paused and then questioned, “You two were going to do a _ blood pact _ ?”

         Ignoring the alarmed look on the butler’s face, Junior pointed his head to Laura. “That was her idea.”

         And he wasn’t  _ lying _ , either.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Unsurprisingly, there weren’t that many cars driving about at eleven forty on this particular night, so zoomin’ on over to Town Hall wouldn’t take LarryBoy long at all in his beloved Larry Mobile. His eyes shortly glanced to his left, out the window. A few patrons were out at the cafe where he had first met Alfred. The memory caused his stomach to flip flop, so the superhero shook his head and continued driving.

         “Gosh,” he spoke to himself, partly as an attempt to change his attention to something else, “I’ve been here for a long time. Bet I could find specific places like the back of my hand…!” He paused, rethinking what he said. “Well, if I  _ had _ hands…”

         He stopped at a red light, just three blocks from where the Town Hall was located.

         LarryBoy glanced to the right then the left. He realized he was the only one at the light. How lonely. He sat back against his seat with a sigh at the thought. “Shoot, just when I thought I wouldn’t have to stop drivin’. How long does it take for a light to change again?”

         Well, that would depend. Is the thing broken or an older traffic light?

         His eyes drifted to the clock and, once he saw the time, he made a frightened squeak. Eleven fifty-four?! But he  _ just left _ the community center! How did time fly by so fast?! “Wait a second,” he questioned to himself, “why am I gettin’ fidgety? It’s not the first time I would miss a New Year countdown because superhero business called at the last minute…” He went on with explaining, “B--besides, all that really happens is people settin’ off fireworks, guzzlin’ a lot of drinks, and people kissin’--”

         A clip of Alfred giggling and snorting at his terrible joke flashed in his brain, causing his face to burn and make another squeak.

         “ _ Well _ ,” he announced with an obvious rise of pitch in his voice, “time to think about something else while I wait for this dumb light to change!”

         What replayed in his thoughts was Junior’s observation he told him about.

_          “He gets really mushy, like...mumbling and smiling while looking at his lap, but when I point it out, he starts stuttering and blushing like  _ mad _.  _ Probably _ a sure sign, Larry. Adults are weird like that.” _

         Considering how he behaved moments ago, obviously acting in denial about why he was worried over missing the New Year countdown, LarryBoy sighed out, “Yeah, adults kinda  _ are _ weird, Junior.” His eyes traveled to the traffic light. Ugh, still red?! “At least the mayor didn’t say it was urgent, but…” Once again, he looked to the clock. “...eleven fifty-three. Great…”

         LarryBoy, not thinking straight, pressed the call button to Alfred.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Alfred was about to take a nice sip at his acquired sparkling, clear drink when Junior spoke up, “What kinda drink  _ is _ that? Smells weird.”

         Before Alfred could inform Junior, Laura stopped eating a muffin and told him, “I think it’s wine. I can smell the grapes over here.”

         “Hope you’re not gonna drive tonight, Alfred.”   
         “I don’t think he’d do that if he was going to drink.”   
         “You never know.”

         The butler huffed. “I’d  _ never  _ do such a thing and endanger those around me,” he assured Junior. “Larry--I mean, Master Larry offered to drive us home tonight since he wanted to anyway, so there’s no need to worry about me driving under influence.”

         “Speaking of Larry,” Junior grinned to Laura, urging her, “ask Alfred how he feels about him.”

         Laura blinked, not getting what the younger kid could be hinting around; however, her mind recalled a conversation which she had with Junior at her residence yesterday. First, her eyes widened a bit in realization, but then she smugly glanced to Alfred who nervously averted the stare and sipped his drink. “Alfred~...what’s this I’ve heard about you acting funny whenever Larry’s mentioned?”

         Alfred was screaming internally at the question.  _ Bother! _ What on earth did Junior tell her?  _ Why _ was he telling her about his…”thing” for Larry? Was Junior still sore that he said that the twin brother twist on “Duck Detective” was “actually good even though it was a cliche”? Yeah, that  _ had _ to have been the reason.

         Okay, remain calm. Simply play confused and innocent by the two.

         After chasing a gulp of the wine down his throat, Alfred sat the glass down with a cough. “I don’t know what Junior could possibly be talking about, Laura,” he lied as he adjusted his monocle.

         Laura didn’t back down. “You like Larry, don’t you?”

         “Of course I do, he’s my dear friend--”   
         “I mean  _ like _ -like him.”   
         “Ah--I…”

         Junior chimed in, though not as aggressive as his friend, “Alfred, Larry feels the same way.”

         Alfred froze and, he could’ve sworn, his breathing stopped momentarily. Did he hear that correct? Was Larry truly…?

         Laura and Junior didn’t notice how stiff Alfred sat in his seat and, instead, Laura whispered to the ten-year-old, “You should’ve let Larry tell him  _ that _ , ya dummy.”

         “Larry’s busy, so I’m doing it for him while he’s  _ out _ , Laura.”   
         “He could’ve told him when he got  _ back _ !”   
         “He was worried he wouldn’t make it back in time for the  _ countdown _ !”

         She blinked, now speaking at normal volume, “Uh, what for?”

         He shrugged. “I dunno…” was his reply. “He kept stuttering when he tried explaining it to me.”

         Alfred came back to life only because one of his communication devices began to buzz widely within his jacket’s inside pocket. He arose with a stammer, “I need to step outside. This may take a while, so you two are free to return to your family or entertain yourselves.” Before he dashed off, he grabbed his half-full drink. He needed it more than ever.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         LarryBoy grumbled to himself as his eyes had to switch from the small screen where Alfred’s head usually showed (which it currently wasn’t) and the darn traffic light. He swear, it was as though the light mocked his misery. Why did this have to happen now? On New Year’s Eve and with a wish to be back at his event…

         Oh well, superhero duties can’t be ignored -- not now, not ever.

         “Master Larry? Are you at your destination?”

         He jumped and then looked to the screen, feeling his stomach fill with butterflies at the Brit’s face; however, he recovered from his flustered feelings and responded, “Actually, I’m at a red light…”

         “Oh?”   
         “And have been at the red light for  **_three minutes_ ** .”   
         “...oh…it might be broken.”

         “Alfred,” he asked, “what should I do?”

         Alfred hummed in thought for only a few seconds until he finally answered, “If there aren’t any cars behind or around you, you should be able to go. Make certain there aren’t any police officers.”

         He grinned. “Thanks Alfred.  _ Knew _ I could count on you for advice.” LarryBoy checked over his shoulder. Nope, not a single car. Man that’s weird. Next, he pulled the mobile up a little whilst looking left and right for anybody. Once the coast was clear, he drove ahead at long last.

         The traffic light turned green.

 

  
  


         LarryBoy spoke up after a moment of silence. “Hey Alfred?” He was afraid to look, but he knew he had to in order to explain to Mayor Blueberry what took him so long, so the wonderboy turned his brown eyes to the clock. Eleven fifty-nine. He bit his lip as he returned his eyes to the street. “I don’t think I’m gonna make it back to the party on time for the countdown…”

         “Oh Larry,” Alfred’s voice coaxed him to look at the screen again, “it’s alright. You’ve had to do this plenty of years before.”

         “I know, but...” he paused in order to finally pull up in front of Town Hall, “I wanted to spend it with you, Alfred.”

         “Being LarryBoy comes first, silly.”   
         “But…”   
         “...yes?”

         ‘ _ I wanted to do something special with you for tonight _ ,’ was what Larry’s thoughts said. “I…” he was at a loss for words. Dang, he should be going to Mayor Blueberry now, but he just  _ had _ to tell the Brit something instead of “I’ll talk to you after I’m done here” like he always did for every mission.

         A- _ ha _ .

         As he opened the hatch of his mobile, he said, “I’m gonna stay on the line with you until the countdown’s over.”

         “I...are you sure?”   
         “Uh-huh! Oh, a--and when the countdown’s over, have a toast for both of us.”

         He must have noticed the drink in his possession. Whether the hero noticed or not, Alfred nodded with a small, sweet smile. “I will…”

         With the butterflies making a bigger comeback in LarryBoy’s stomach, he grinned in return. In the background, he heard multiple voices counting down from  _ ten _ ,  _ nine _ ,  _ eight _ \--

         “And Alfred?”   
         “Yes?”

         Here it goes...

         LarryBoy sharply inhaled and then removed his mask, a blush now visible on his cheeks. “I love you.”

         Alfred could feel his breath being taken away. His lips wobbled as he struggled to say, or in this case  _ squeak _ , “Wh--wha…?”

_ 3, 2, 1 _ \--

         As soon as fireworks from all over Bumblyburg burst in the air, Larry was aware that the new year arrived right on time. Before Alfred had a chance to say anything else, he whispered to him with a warm smile, almost mimicking Alfred’s from seconds ago, “Happy New Year, Alfred.” He pulled his mask over his head and hopped out of the vehicle. Time to visit the mayor.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Alfred simply stood there behind the ballroom building, though very unbalanced, as he stared at the pda-shaped communication device in his hold. With his mouth agape and his cheeks slowly turning into a festive shade of crimson, such as the same colour as Larry’s scarf, his ears failed to hear the cheers and very messy chorus of “Auld Lang Syne”, for they were filling with blood rushing to them.

         “He...loves me…?”

         His back bumped against the brick wall, and then he felt himself crouch down, obviously stunned by Larry’s confession. He wasn’t hearing things, no, he definitely wasn’t. Those three words came out of sweet Larry’s mouth. He blinked back burning tears which desired to spill and then downed the rest of his drink like he promised the superhero, especially since his throat seemed dry.

         Larry loved him. Oh goodness,  _ he loved him _ .

         At first, the strange sensation of flowers blooming from his chest was minimal; however, Alfred almost gasped when it continued exploding with beautiful roses of love and admiration (the cheesiness returns!). Goodness, it even felt as though butterflies were dancing inside his stomach!

         Larry loved him.

_ Plip, plip. Plip plip plip plip… _

         “Oh, Larry…” His laughter was feeble both in volume and tone, sure, but Alfred continued to laugh as tears dripped from his glassy eyes and onto the cold pavement, “you’re so silly.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         “There you are! Come on in, LarryBoy!”

         LarryBoy awkwardly entered the mayor’s office not long after confessing his feelings toward Alfred; although, he felt awkward because of the office party outside the room he had to wade through. He had a feeling some of those guys were gonna need taxis to get home by the way they acted with those drinks. “Sorry it took a while, Mayor Blueberry,” he apologized as he shut the door behind himself. “I was stuck at a red light for a while. I think it was broken.”

         Mayor Blueberry beamed from behind her desk, decked out in a fancy black feather hat on her head, “That’s alright. Some of the lights have been rather stubborn lately. Don’t worry, that will be resolved before you know it! Anyway,” she changed the topic, “the reason why I called you out here is because I need you to do a quick patrol around the restaurants for any thieves trying to break into cars at gatherings.

         I have the police on ground making sure nobody drives home intoxicated, so I only need you to simply  _ check _ unless you see something. You can leave once you do that.”

         He blinked. Oh, so just a quick lil’ inspection? No problem! That should only take...uh...a few minutes. Good thing the party he was holding lasted until one, so hopefully there would be people still present once he returned. “You want me to call you when it’s done, right?”

         She nodded. “Please do. Oh! Before you go, LarryBoy…” The small mayor arose and made sure to grab a cake box from her desk along with a coffee cup. “Since this is a holiday that I’m having you do this,” she said as she approached the superhero, “I’d like to compensate for sacrificing your time. Here you go! I’ve had the catering group make you some food before you arrived. I’ve also gotten you some coffee just in case you need something to keep you awake.”

         LarryBoy perked up, taking the items from her. Ooo, coffee! He used to not really enjoy the bitter taste; however, he finally warmed up to caffeine upon discovering much sweeter drinks existed and eventually drank those when he needed a simple pick-me-up. As soon as he had the food and drink in his hold, he couldn’t help himself from sniffing the box to guess what kind of food could be in it. “Is that…” sniff sniff, “corn bread?”

         “Mm-hm,” Mayor Blueberry nodded once more.

         He beamed a grin, one which could be seen as “non-superhero” in nature. “I really appreciate the gesture, Mayor Blueberry. Hope you have a happy new year.” With a bow of his head, LarryBoy exited the room.

         Again, he waded through the group of partying office workers with a small “excuse me” and “sorry” from him until he made it out of Town Hall and to the Larry Mobile. When LarryBoy got into his vehicle, he immediately remembered something.

         He just told Alfred he loved him.

         LarryBoy squeaked and his heart began to pound a bit faster. “I can’t believe I finally did it…” He was pretty amazed at himself for finding the courage to do that. “Took me almost a year later, but  _ still _ …” He quickly tried distracting himself via guzzling the unknown-flavored-coffee. Yum, gingerbread! Very Christmas-y.

         His brown eyes went to the clock and then the small screen on his dashboard. Well, time to start inspectin’ and then head back to the community center.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_1:10 AM_ **

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Alfred dabbed at his eyes one more time in front of the bathroom mirror with a kleenex, his monocle simply lifted and then placed back in place rather than being removed entirely. How utterly embarrassing, crying outside in chilly weather for two minutes and then staying out there for an additional five minutes, staring at nothing.

         Why was he so bloody emotional about the realisation that Larry loved him as well?

         He sniffled whilst his eyes darted to the wall in thought.

         Perhaps he was scared that his feelings would’ve been one-sided. Maybe he worried that his romantic feelings for Larry would tarnish the relationship they had. There was a chance that, as a possibility, he didn’t think he was worthy of Larry’s non-platonic affection. That could be it was well. Before becoming his butler, after all, Alfred wasn’t necessarily a “good guy”. Larry, though, saw something in him and forgave the Brit for what he did, even when Alfred didn’t feel he deserved it. Larry cared for him, even back then.

         When he exhaled, Alfred noted how much it shuddered and couldn’t help but to cringe at it. So  _ emotional _ . That’s why his family detested him so much.

         He was about to venture back to the ballroom when another realisation entered his head.

         Could it be that he was behaving in this emotional manner was due to him being  _ happy _ ?

         Well, he certainly would not be surprised if burst of being overjoyed was the culprit behind his teary reaction. Again, emotional he was. He just needed to be sure not to do that in front of Larry. He didn’t want to worry him.

         Speaking of Larry...he was probably going to return soon.

         He sniffled a final time as he looked himself over in the mirror. Alfred adjusted his monocle, his vest, and then his jacket. “I must look presentable out there,” he reminded himself, “no matter the circumstance.”

         Alfred left the restroom.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         When Alfred returned to the ballroom, he was greeted by the absolute silence from the ceiling speakers and a tiny crowd which continued to shrink due to the party reaching its end. All if a sudden, his eyes caught the sight of Junior and Laura near the ballroom entrance. Before he began to wonder what on earth was occurring, the Brit spotted Larry in his sweater and scarf along with his cheeks pink from being exposed in the cold air outside.

         Junior immediately said to Larry, “Sorry you missed the countdown.”

         Larry sniffled twice and responded with a slightly nasally tone, “It’s fine. I had to do somethin’ real quick, so…” He suddenly felt the need to warm his face more, so he tucked his face deeper into the crevice of his dear scarf as he shivered. “I guess the temperature’s dropped since I’ve been out there.”

         Laura piped in, “We’ve gotta go. Little brother’s getting tired and all.”

         Junior nodded. “Same here.”

         “Got’cha.” Larry nodded once. “Thanks for comin’, guys!” He moved over and allowed the kids and the rest of their family out of the ballroom. Larry soon let his eyes to glance about and,  _ wow _ ...guess he pretty much missed it, so the crowd continuously decreased in numbers until it eventually stopped, the food at buffet table was wiped clean of food, and the workers he hired to clean up the place were pretty much done and were now leaving from another exit.

         “W--welcome back, Master Larry…”

         He perked up straight when he heard a familiar voice greeting him. Larry turned to right and there was a blushing Alfred staring at him. With the tingling starting in his chest, Larry shyly grinned at him. “Hey Alfred.”

         Bother, there went the blood flooding his ears again. Alfred had to force himself not to be too peeved by it and, instead, took a step closer to the out-of-costume hero. “Do you...really love me?” Bold to ask right away rather than exchanging “small talk”, but he truly wanted to know.

         With a pinch of timidness in his voice, Larry nodded with his grin dimming a bit. “Yeah,” he admitted, “I do. A  _ lot _ …” A nervous chuckle escaped him as he continued, “Been like this for alm--most a year. I wanted to tell you durin’ the countdown, but...Mayor Blueberry needed me.”

         Silence.

         Suddenly, Alfred broke the silence with a choked, “Oh, Larry… _ I love you too _ .”

         It was at that moment that Larry realized he was looking down and had to lift his head to its natural position; however, Larry paused when he noticed how the Brit’s eyes were welling up with tears but were persistent to not drop. Worriedly, he frowned and asked, “Alfred? You okay?”

         Alfred blinked widely twice, unaware that he was becoming weepy. “O--oh!” As his cheeks heated more from embarrassment, he dug into a jacket pocket until he found a kleenex in order to dab here and there at his eyes. He reassuringly said, “I’m fine, I’m fine! My allergies are being a bother again.”

         But Larry wasn’t going to fall for that cover-up, definitely not. Instead, he closed the gap between the two of them and pressed himself against Alfred’s form as a hug which caused the Brit to gasp from surprise. “Happy New Year, Alfred,” he whispered again.

         He had to blink again when tears prickled his eyes once more. Alfred leaned in closer and whispered in return, “Happy New Year, Larry. I love you. I love you so much...”

         “...Alfred?”   
         “Mm?”

         “...you make me really happy. I hope ya know that.”

         A sweet laugh came from Alfred before he responded with, “Why, I’m honoured I do that! I would be lying if I didn’t admit that you do the same for me.”

         Silence yet again.

         “Alfred? About the New Year countdown…”   
         “Yes?”

         Larry nuzzled against Alfred’s shoulder and then said, “Maybe...we could try somethin’ that other couples do. Ah--I know that the countdown already happened, but--”

         “You,” Alfred tried his best not to stutter at the thought, “want to kiss?” When Alfred felt Larry nodding his head against his shoulder, the butterflies, bundles of flowers, etc, returned all together. Goodness, it was going to happen! He and Larry were going to kiss! As kindly as he could, he answered in a warm tone, “Alright.”

         The two pulled themselves out of the embrace with Alfred carefully leaning in, eyes closed and ignoring how hard his heart began to pound. Meanwhile, as he shut his eyes, Larry prayed that he wouldn’t mess up this kiss. After all, he never kissed anybody prior to this very moment.

         Caught. The blood rushed more and more as Alfred felt his lips brushing once, twice and then much more against Larry’s cute pair. Oh  _ goodness _ , it felt so nice.

         ...alright, so perhaps Larry’s bottom lips felt a little chapped due to being out in the cold, but honestly, Alfred wasn’t going to be picky about having his first kiss with someone he loved.

         He did it, he did it without ruining it somehow! Larry couldn’t help but blush from doing such an intimate thing with Alfred; however, this all felt so nice, regardless. Larry could’ve sworn he could taste something bitter on the Brit’s silky lips. Ohh, right. Alfred had some of that wine being served at the party. Forgot about that.

         The two broke away, both of them trying to capture their breath, as much as they didn’t want to end their kissing. 

         Larry was the first to recover as he shakily laughed while exclaiming, “Wow...!”

         Alfred smiled gently while he rest his head atop Larry’s. “Did you like it?”

         “Y--yeah! It felt nice!”   
         “...may we...do it again?”   
         “ ‘course!”

         Alfred lifted his head off Larry as uncontrollable fluttering continued within his chest and stomach. Goodness if he could, he would’ve kept kissing Larry over and over, but the single one he shared with the out-of-costume hero next definitely felt wonderful as well.

         As they broke away, their noses brushing each other during the process, Larry grinned to him and asked, “Wanna go home? We can have a toast together. Oo! And the parade’s gonna be on in a few hours if you wanna watch that!”

          He hummed as a “yes” response whilst he nuzzled against Larry. Ahh, it felt like he was melting from this affection, and he loved it  _ dearly _ .

         He loved  _ Larry _ dearly. (If that wasn’t clear already.)

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_..._ **

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Wow, it was certainly a busy day fighting petty crime, so as soon as LarryBoy pulled the Larry Mobile into the cave, the superhero left out a sigh of relief, knowing that he was finished for the day.

         Once he opened the hatch and got out of his vehicle, LarryBoy’s stomach flipped upon hearing a familiar voice exclaiming, “Good show today, LarryBoy!”

         LarryBoy couldn’t contain his grin as he whipped around and saw Alfred standing there with a proud smile. “Heya Alfred,” he greeted him.

         “Since you’ve been busy today,” Alfred said without his smile faltering, “I ordered pizza for us... _ extra _ cheese, of course.”

         He gasped, his eyes sparkling at the thought of delicious pizza being in his mouth. “You’re  _ awesome _ .”

         “Oh  _ come _ now,” he laughed at the endearing reaction from Larry, “it wasn’t difficult for me to do it. You could say that it was a  _ pizza _ cake!”

         Larry immediately faltered with a roll of his eyes at the bad joke right while Alfred began to laugh harder until the butler started snoring as well. Why did Alfred like making puns or bad jokes…?

         ...good grief, he was still laughing!

         Larry felt a tug at his lips, wanting to form a smile. Okay, so Alfred enjoyed making jokes like that, but...y’know what? This was something Alfred liked doing, and Larry liked seeing Alfred enjoying himself. He allowed the smile to surface.  _ Gosh _ , Alfred was cute laughing…

         He loved it. Heck, he loved everything about Alfred, truth be told.

         “Ohh...that was a good one,” Alfred, through his laughing and snorting, weakly patted himself on the back as he wiped away a tear with a tissue. Just as he was about to say something else, he cried out from surprise when LarryBoy pulled him in. “L--Larry!”

         As he pulled off his mask, Larry, who was grinning ear-to-ear, said, “You’re so cute when you laugh, Alfred.”

         He groaned at this with a blush whilst he was pulled closer against Larry’s form. “Oh bother…”

         “You  _ are _ though~...” Larry leaned in and kissed his neck, earning a tiny gasp as a result. “Love ya, Alfred. Happy New Year!”

         Alfred, in return, laughed from embarrassment. “I love you too, Larry. Happy New Year to you as well. Let's have many more.” 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_**end** _

**Author's Note:**

> Alfred, why are you so weepy?
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys have a nice new year! :B


End file.
